Department for Transport

Public Transport: Greater Manchester

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect Transport for Greater Manchester to announce the new contractor for the smart-ticketing scheme previously awarded to ATOS, and when they expect such a scheme to be introduced.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: This is a commercial matter for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). The Government has no involvement in any negotiations between TfGM and any prospective new contractors.The introduction of any smart ticketing scheme will depend on the progress made by TfGM in appointing any new contractor.

Ministry of Defence

UN Mission in South Sudan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK troops will be deployed to the UN Mission in Sudan and South Sudan; what is the timeline for their deployment; and what will be the distribution of their roles and responsibilities.

Earl Howe: At the UN General Assembly in September, the Prime Minister offered increased UK military support to UN peacekeeping activity in Africa. This offer includes episodic deployment of up to three hundred personnel to conduct key tasks to support the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Indicative tasks might include engineering, combat and advisory support. Planning is in hand now, in consultation with the UN, to determine the precise requirements and how we may best respond. We expect to deploy the first troops in mid-2016. We currently have three personnel deployed to UNMISS; two at the Force Headquarters in the capital, Juba, and one at Malakal, in the north of the country. UK has no plans to deploy troops to the UN (and African Union) Missions in Sudan.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Baroness Jolly: To ask Her Majesty’s Government with how many Iraqi interpreters the armed forces contracted during military operations in Iraq in each year between 2003 and 2009.

Earl Howe: The total number of Iraqi interpreters recruited by the Armed Forces during Military operations in Iraq from 2003 to 2009 is 1,628. The following table shows this figure broken down by each year:YearNo. of Interpreters200334720044262005499200620920077820086920090

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the Euro-Atlantic integration process for Bosnia-Herzegovina, set out in the 2014 UN Security Council Resolution No. 2183.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government is a firm advocate of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) Euro-Atlantic integration. The UK-Germany initiative, launched a year ago (and adopted by the EU), was designed to stimulate reform and energise BiH's EU perspective. The entry into force of the EU-BiH Stabilisation and Association Agreement on 1 June 2015 marks an important initial step. On the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Government continues to encourage BiH to enhance its efforts to meet the requirements to proceed with its Membership Action Plan.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Peacekeeping Operations

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they proposed the use of the term "Euro-Atlantic integration" during negotiations for the 2015 UN Security Council Resolution No. 2247, and which countries opposed the inclusion of this term in the Resolution.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government is a firm and active supporter of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Euro-Atlantic perspective. As negotiations are confidential, details on members’ views during these negotiations cannot be disclosed.

Office of the Quartet Representative

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 4 November (HL2981), what were the grades of each of the two full-time members of staff seconded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Office of the Quartet Representative from 2007 to 2013.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office seconded two full-time members of staff to the Office of the Quartet Representative from 2007 until 2013. These consisted of one senior civil servant from June 2007 until March 2010 and then one Grade 6 equivalent from March 2010 until June 2013. This was in addition to one higher executive officer equivalent from June 2007 until December 2010, followed by an executive officer equivalent from January 2011 until August 2012, and then an administrative officer equivalent from September 2012 until June 2013.

Middle East Quartet

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 4 November (HL2981), what assessment they have made of the impact of the Middle East Quartet Representative on the prospects for peace between Israel and Palestine, and what they have identified as its successes and failures.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As I said in my previous response of 4 November 2015 (HL2981), the British Government supports the aims and objectives of the Quartet, which has an important role in the Middle East Peace Process through its mandate to mobilise international assistance to the Palestinians and develop plans to promote Palestinian economic development.

Middle East Quartet

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 4 November (HL2982), what were the reasons for the decision not to appoint a new Middle East Quartet Representative, and what differences exist between the mandate of the Middle East Quartet Representative and the new Head of Mission of the Office of the Quartet.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The reasons for the decision not to appoint a new Middle East Quartet Representative are a matter for the Quartet Principals (UN Secretary General, US Secretary of State, Foreign Minister of Russia and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy).The “Office of the Quartet Representative” (OQR) has been renamed the “Office of the Quartet” (OQ). It will be led by two highly-regarded individuals: Kito de Boer, who joined in January 2015, will serve as Head of Mission and Sandra Wijnberg, who joined in July 2014, will serve as Deputy Head of Mission.The Head of Mission of the Office of the Quartet (OQ) is charged with delivering the OQ’s mandate. The mandate remains unchanged, and was set out in a June 2015 statement by the Quartet Principals. It is to “focus on economic and institutional development in the Palestinian Territory, addressing issues related to strengthening investment in the Palestinian private sector, rule of law, and movement and access. The OQ shall work in coordination and complementarity (sic) with bilateral and multilateral partners that implement technical assistance programs in the Palestinian Territory. As such, OQ will play an important role in advancing tangible steps on the ground to advance the Palestinian economy, and preserve the possibility of a two state solution.”

Tanzania: Elections

Lord Steel of Aikwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the elections in Tanzania, particularly with respect to the devolved assembly in Zanzibar, and what representations they have made to the government of Tanzania or the Commonwealth Secretariat regarding the elections.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Despite some problems, the national elections in Tanzania were peaceful and generally well organised. We have extended our congratulations to President Magufuli on his victory. We are however deeply concerned at the decision to nullify the elections for the Zanzibar Presidency and Parliament. We have conveyed our concerns to the Government of Tanzania on a number of occasions including at senior levels, most recently during a meeting last week between the Tanzanian High Commissioner to London and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge).

Turkey: EU Enlargement

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the call by the European Commission as part of the EU enlargement strategy for Turkey to lift media restrictions to improve respect for human rights and the rule of law, and to re-start comprehensive peace negotiations with Kurdish militants and constitutional nationalists.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We welcome the Commission’s EU enlargement strategy, which commends Turkey’s considerable efforts on refugees and recognises the progress Turkey has made in recent years. The strategy also highlights where Turkey needs to do more to meet EU standards through continuing reform, particularly in the areas of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, and rule of law. As we have made clear, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) needs to cease its attacks and we fully support a resumption of peace talks. The UK stands ready to help in any way it can.

Terrorism: Finance

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken, and what action they plan to take, to put pressure on Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to cut off financing for terrorist organisations.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We work with regional and international partners, including all Gulf States, to tackle the threat posed by terrorist organisations, including by working to counter terrorist financing. We urge all international partners to implement UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2161 (on Al Qaida sanctions), UNSCR 2199 (on countering Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) finance) and UNSCR 1373 (on threats to international peace and security), and work to further combat the financing of ISIL through the Counter-ISIL Finance Working Group (Saudi Arabia is the Chair, Kuwait and Qatar are active members).The Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) is the global standard setter for anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing. Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia are members of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (the regional grouping of FATF) which conducts mutual evaluations of its members to assess compliance with the international standard. A FATF report on terrorist financing published on 16 November 2015 noted that since 2010, Saudi Arabia had achieved the highest number of terrorist financing convictions out of the 33 jurisdictions who had achieved a conviction.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Agriculture: Research

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote the role of women researchers in the global agriculture sector.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Government is committed to developing a strong, diverse research community. The Research Councils and National Academies share this commitment.Government is working with its partner organisations to promote equality across all research disciplines and has established a Diversity Steering Group to guide this work.To improve the diversity of research fellowship awards, the National Academies are working to encourage more applications from under-represented groups and to guard against discrimination in the selection process. Government has also commissioned the Research Councils to develop an action plan to improve the diversity of grant applications and peer-review rates.As an international example, Government and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council have jointly funded four research programmes involving collaborative projects between UK researchers and partners in sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia.All programmes have included research capacity building in developing countries and have had an increasing focus on integrating gender into agricultural research.The most recent programme, Zoonoses and Emerging Livestock Systems (ZELS) includes a studentship programme and of the twelve PhD students who have been appointed, eight are women.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place to ensure that establishments and organisations that are sited close to the boundaries of two Local Enterprise Partnership areas do not lose out on funding because their clientele and services users come from two different Partnership areas.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Government has given Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) the flexibility they need to meet the needs of local businesses and maximise growth. LEPs can and do work together across boundaries when needed Ultimately, LEPs are accountable to their local communities and businesses should consult their LEP if they feel their interests are not being met

Airbus SAS

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what their policy is for ensuring that the UK continues to participate strongly in the design, research, manufacture and financing of Airbus products.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: We work closely with the aerospace industry, through the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP), to help raise the productivity and competitiveness of UK supply chain companies at all levels, includingAirbus at Filton and Broughton and their UK suppliers. This work includes supporting industry’s research, design, development, manufacturing and financing of products. A key aim is to help ensure that UK remains Europe’s leading aerospace nation by securing future work with the world’s large aircraft manufacturers including Airbus.

Apprentices

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many students completed apprenticeships in each year from 2010 to the last year for which records are available.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The table shows the number of learners that achieved apprenticeships from 2010:All Age Apprenticeship Framework Achievements (2009/10 to 2014/15)2009/10  Full Year2010/11  Full Year2011/12  Full Year2012/13 Full Year2013/14  Full Year2014/15  Full YearTotal171,500200,300258,400252,900255,800260,900This data is published as part of a Statistical First Release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held



Statistical First release
(PDF Document, 870.65 KB)

Minimum Wage: EU Countries

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the minimum wage in sterling in each EU member state.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: In the Low Pay Commission’s National Minimum Wage Report 2015, Appendix 3 outlines details of 2014 adult minimum wage rates in 12 comparator countries, including EU member states. Minimum wages vary in level and structure between countries given the context of their economic and labour market conditions. These comparisons are broken down in the table below.Comparison of Adult Minimum Wage, by Country, End 2014   In national currency expressed as hourly ratea In UK £, using: Date of last uprating % increase in national currency from 2012/2013 to 2014 Age full minimum wage usually appliesb Exchange rates PPPs Australiac AUS$16.87 9.37 8.44 Jul-14 3.0 21Belgium € 8.67 6.88 7.80 Dec-12 0.0 21Canadad C$10.39 5.79 6.29 e 1.5 16France € 9.53 7.54 8.57 Jan-14 1.1 18Greece €3.52f 2.73 3.82 Feb-12 0.0 25Ireland € 8.65 6.84 7.20 Jul-11g 0.0 20Japanh JPY780 4.46 5.31 Oct-13 2.0 15/18iNetherlands 8.63j 6.83 7.59 Jul-14 1.2 23New Zealand NZ$14.25 7.12 7.05 Apr-14 3.6 16Portugall € 2.91 2.30 3.33 Oct-14 4.0 16Spainl € 3.72 2.94 3.82 Jan-12 0.0 16United Kingdom $6.50 6.50 6.50 Oct-14 3.0 21United States US$7.25m 4.45 5.63 Jul-09 0.0 20Source: British Embassies and High Commissions, Low Pay Commission (LPC) calculations of country minimum wage rates in pounds sterling using exchange rates and PPPs. PPPs derived from Comparative Price Levels (CPLs), OEDC Main Economic Indicators, September 2014. Exchange rates, Bank of England month average spot exchange rates, September 2014.Notes: a. For countries where the minimum wage is not expressed as an hourly rate, the rate has been converted to an hourly basis assuming a working time of 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week and 173.3 hours per month.b. Exemptions and special rules apply in many cases. For example, in France and the US the full adult rate applies to young workers with tenure of more than six and more than three months respectively.c. The Australian Federal National Minimum Wage Order, effective from first pay period on or after 1 July 2014. d. Weighted average of provincial/territorial rates. e. Date of last uprating varies between provinces. f. Minimum hourly rate for ‘employees’. Different hourly rate operates for ‘blue collar’ workers. g. The hourly minimum rate was reduced from €8.65 to €7.65 for adult workers on 1 Feb 2011. That reduction was reversed and the hourly rate went back up to €8.65 on 1 July 2011.h. Weighted average of prefectural rates. i. Age 15 to receive the regional minimum wage. Age 18 to receive the sectoral minimum wage. j. Excludes 8 per cent supplement for holiday pay. Minimum wage based on a 40 hour working week. There are different minimum wage rates for those working a 38 or 36 hour week.k. For all employees aged 16 and over, who are not either on the training minimum wage or the starting out minimum wagel. Not including annual supplementary pay of two additional months of salary for full-time workers. m. Federal minimum wage. Tipped employees receive a lower minimum wage depending on state laws.



NMW Low Pay Commission Report 2015
(PDF Document, 7.49 MB)

Department for International Development

Overseas Aid: Renewable Energy

Lord Donoughue: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much was paid by the Department for International Development to green energy campaign groups between 2010 and 2015 (1) in the UK, and (2) internationally, both as a total and as a percentage of the Department for International Development's development expenditure.

Earl of Courtown: DFID does not fund any green energy campaign groups in the UK. DFID’s Programme Partnership Arrangement (PPA) funding to Civil Society enables organisations to achieve international development outcomes. Some organisations may choose to use DFID funding for advocacy efforts, including on climate, within the countries in which they work

Department for Education

Arts and Humanities: Education

Baroness Afshar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the claim by the Secretary of State for Education that those studying solely arts and humanities subjects will be "held back" on students who are, or are considering, studying those subjects.

Lord Nash: The government wants all young people to benefit from a broad and balanced education that equips them with the knowledge, skills and character they need to thrive in modern Britain and realise their full potential. Arts and humanities subjects form part of a broad and balanced curriculum. Our expectation is that every child should experience a high quality arts and humanities education. That is why the national curriculum sets the expectation that pupils study these subjects in key stages 1 to 3.At key stage 4, the government wants to increase the number of pupils who take GCSEs in the EBacc subjects of English, maths, science, history or geography and a language. These are the subjects that give young people the most options in their futures and will help to secure a place at university or in employment.As the EBacc is a specific, limited measure consisting of five subject pillars and up to eight GCSEs, there is time in the curriculum for most pupils to study other valuable subjects. The proportion of pupils in state-funded schools taking at least one GCSE in an arts subject has increased since the EBacc was first introduced, rising from 46% in 2011 to 50% in 2015.

Ministry of Justice

Homicide: Reoffenders

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many offenders with previous convictions for homicide were convicted of homicide in 2014.

Lord Faulks: A life sentence is mandatory on conviction for murder and a whole life order starting point applies to a murder by an offender previously convicted of murder.The table shows the number of offenders with previous convictions for homicide by offenders convicted of homicide in 2014.Table: Number of previous convictions for homicide2 by people convicted of homicide1 in each year from 2009 to 2014Number of offenders with a previous conviction(s) for homicideYear2009320109201114201282013920145Source: Police National Computer (PNC)1. All offender figures are based on counting the number of sentencing occasions for an homicide offence committed by offenders who were prosecuted by police forces in England and Wales including the British Transport Police. Offenders who have been convicted on more than one occasion during the year and across the years will be represented in the table several times.2. All previous conviction figures are based on counting the number of convictions on which offenders have previously been convicted for a homicide offence recorded on the Police National Computer, including some offences committed outside of England and Wales. Homicide is defined by the following crimes and may include different crimes to other published data: Common Law Murder of persons aged 1 year or over. Common Law Murder of infants under 1 year of age. 'Common Law.' & 'Offences against the Person Act 1861' S.5;9;10. Manslaughter Infanticide Act 1938. Infanticide Infant Life Preservation Act 1929. Child destruction Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec.1 ( 1 ). As amended by the Road Traffic Act 1991 S.1 & CJA 1993 S.67 Causing death by dangerous driving. Homicide Act 1957, Sec.2. Manslaughter, Diminished Responsibility. Road Traffic Act 1988 Sect3 A. as added by the RTA 1991 S.3 & amended by CJA 1993 S.67. Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs Cause/allow death of a child or vulnerable person. Domestic Violence, Crime & Victims Act 2004 S.5 Causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving; Road Traffic Act 1988 S.2B as added by Road Safety Act S.20 Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers; Road Traffic Act 1988 S.3ZB as added by Road Safety Act S.21 Corporate manslaughter / homicide Theft Act 1968 S.12A as added by the Aggravated Vehicle Taking Act 1992 S.1 - Aggravated taking where owing to the driving of the vehicle an accident occurs causing the death of any person Homicide includes among others, the offences of murder, manslaughter, infanticide, corporate manslaughter and causing death by dangerous or careless driving. See footnote 3 for all types of homicides.

The Lord Chairman of Committees

House of Lords Press Office

Lord Dobbs: To ask the Chairman of Committees how many people are employed in, and what is the annual running cost of, the House of Lords Press Office.

Lord Laming: The House of Lords Press and Media Team has a staff of 3 Full Time Equivalents, and its estimated total running costs are £195,000 a year (based on this financial year’s forecast outturn), including salaries, pensions, employer National Insurance contributions and running costs. The Press and Media Team provides a 24/7 service, including dealing with urgent media issues overnight and at weekends.The Press and Media Team promotes the Lords’ role, work and membership through the media. This includes promoting Select Committees’ work, supporting the outreach work of the Lord Speaker, responding to media stories on corporate issues and challenging inaccuracies in reporting both before and after publication, dealing with press enquiries and developing relationships with the press. The team also advises the House of Lords administration and domestic committees on media handling as well as contributing to wider Parliamentary communications work.The Press and Media Team is part of the House of Lords Information Office which seeks to increase understanding of the role, work, membership and structure of the House of Lords, by means of outreach work, a public enquiry service, a team developing the Lords’ digital presence, and publications such as the Work of the House of Lords, as well as the Press and Media Team.

House of Lords: Living Wage

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask the Chairman of Committees whether any staff of the House of Lords are paid less than the recommended Living Wage for London, and if so, how many and in which departments they work.

Lord Laming: The House of Lords Administration was accredited as a London Living Wage employer in November 2013. We have kept in line with changes to the Living Wage since. No staff employed by the House Administration are paid below the London Living Wage.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Facebook

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Governmentwhat discussions they had with Facebook about their recent updates to make it easier for businesses to interact with customers on that platform.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Government regularly meets Facebook, who are part of our Strategic Relationship Management programme, to discuss a range of issues across a number of government departments.

UK Anti-Doping: Finance

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the continued case for the 25 per cent proposed budget cuts to UK Anti-Doping in the light of reports that widespread doping exists in the world of athletics, and what steps they plan to take in the light of any assessment.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) works tirelessly to promote clean sport and is highly regarded internationally.Any decision regarding funding is subject to the forthcoming Spending Review.

Mobile Phones

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the claim by telecoms company Ericsson that the UK is lagging behind other countries in rolling out 5G networks, despite the opening of the 5G Innovation Centre at University of Surrey to improve mobile networks.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government is committed to ensuring that Britain seizes the chance to be a world leader in 5G technology, which it supports through research and innovation; building on areas of UK excellence; and creating the right regulatory framework.The Surrey University 5G Innovation Centre is already acquiring an international reputation as one of the top three centres for 5G research globally. It is not alone - other UK universities including Bristol, Southampton, Lancaster, Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt and Sheffield are also conducting world-leading research in areas that are vital for the implementation of 5G.

Department for Work and Pensions

Long Term Unemployed People

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of their measures to reduce long-term unemployment, and how many people previously classified as long-term unemployed have entered work since 2010, (1) nationally, and (2) in North Lincolnshire.

Lord Freud: Since 2010 long term unemployment has fallen by over a quarter of a million in the UK, and since the Work Programme began in June 2011, it has helped 459,370 long term unemployed people find sustained work. In North Lincolnshire alone, 1,550 long term unemployed people have found sustained work through the Work Programme.The Department is continuing to modernise the way Jobcentre Plus delivers its services and has given responsibility to Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches – trusting them to assess the individual needs of people and offer the support and advice they think is best to get them back into work.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food Banks: Greater London

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current foodbank provision in London.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government does not hold data on numbers of food banks. We commissioned a study to look at this issue in 2013. The “Review of Food Aid in the UK” published in February 2014 was a short, literature based study designed to improve understanding of food aid provision in the UK, who makes use of it, and why. It was not a complete assessment of food aid as it found a variety of types of food aid, with mostly community-led provision responding to local needs.Defra does not estimate numbers of households experiencing food insecurity. There is no single definition of food insecurity. The factors that impact on household food security are complex and include economic, social and environmental issues.

Home Office

European Arrest Warrants

Lord Vinson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for the last 12-month period for which figures are available, how many applications have been made under the European Arrest Warrant for prosecution of British nationals overseas, and of those, how many have been (1) agreed to, and (2) rejected.

Lord Bates: In the 2014/15 business year the National Crime Agency (NCA) received 127 European Arrest Warrants for British citizens. During the same period 40 British citizens were extradited under an EAW.The number of EAWs for British citizens which resulted in a discharge by the courts during this same period is not held centrally.

Refugees

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government from which refugee camps the 1,000 refugees who are to be brought to the UK by Christmas are coming.

Lord Bates: UNHCR identifies and proposes Syrian refugees for the VPR scheme from among the whole of the registered refugee population in the region, from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. This includes people in formal refugee camps, informal settlements and host communities. This provides refugees with a more direct and safe route to the UK, rather than risking the hazardous journey to Europe which has tragically cost so many lives.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Fire Services

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to replace fire authorities.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government has recently consulted on proposals intended to enable greater emergency services collaboration. This includes proposals to enable Police and Crime Commissioners, where this is local support, to take responsibility for fire and rescue services in their area.The consultation closed on 23 October and the Government is currently considering the responses received.

Department of Health

Health Professions: Regulation

Baroness Walmsley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the timetable for implementing the comprehensive legislative reform of health professional regulation to which they have committed.

Lord Prior of Brampton: This Government is grateful for the work of the Law Commissions of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in reviewing the regulation of health and (in England) social care professionals.The Law Commissions made 125 recommendations to reform the existing complex and burdensome regulatory system. The joint four United Kingdom country response to the Law Commissions was published on 29 January 2015 which accepted wholly or in part the vast majority of its recommendations. A copy of the response is attached.The Department is currently reviewing how best to take forward the work of the Law Commissions. We hope to be able to provide an update on this work soon.



UK Countries response 29 January 2015
(PDF Document, 1.41 MB)

Social Services: Expenditure

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the real-term expenditure on local authority-brokered social care in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Based on existing data, the last five years of adult social care spend (including transfers from the National Health Service) in real terms (2014-15 prices) are as follows: 2010-11 £17.19 billion2011-12 £16.35 billion2012-13 £15.89 billion2013-14 £15.72 billion2014-15 £15.51 billion This information is based upon Department for Communities and Local Government budget data.The real terms figures (2014-15 prices) for gross spend on children and young people’s services (including capital expenditure from revenue), calculated from the Department for Education section 251 data returns, are:2010-11 £9.92 billion2011-12 £9.12 billion2012-13 £9.20 billion2013-14 £9.12 billion2014-15 data will be available later in this financial year.

Care Homes: Standards

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) care homes, and (2) home care providers, are currently registered with the Care Quality Commission, and what were the equivalent numbers for each of the past five years for which information is available.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of Health and Adult Social Care in England and is responsible for the registration and inspection of providers. The CQC has provided the following information.As at 12 November 2015, there are 16,912 care home locations and 8,392 domiciliary care services registered with the CQC.Number of care home and home care agencies registered at 1 April 2010 and active care home and domiciliary care service locations since 1 April 2011: Number of Registered Services / Active LocationsDateCare HomesDomiciliary Care Services1 April 201018,2025,5391 April 201116,9445,4251 April 201217,8236,9881 April 201317,5237,5411 April 201417,3547,9131 April 201517,0798,221

Clinical Commissioning Groups: Conflict of Interests

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the investigation by The Times and the British Medical Journal into conflicts of interest caused by Clinical Commissioning Groups entering into contracts with companies in which one or more of their board members has a financial interest.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have legal duties under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to manage conflicts of interests when deciding which health services to procure. CCGs must manage any actual or perceived conflicts in a way that is transparent, fair, and protects the integrity of their decision making.NHS England publishes guidance for CCGs on their responsibility to manage conflicts of interest. CCGs must have regard to this.Monitor must ensure that CCGs follow National Health Service regulations on procurement, patient choice and competition, and have powers of investigation if these are not followed.In their recent report ‘Managing conflicts of interest in NHS clinical commissioning groups’ the National Audit Office (NAO) found that CCGs generally had arrangements in place to manage conflicts of interest to reduce the risk of commissioners’ decisions being improperly influenced. A copy of the NAO’s report is attached.The NAO made recommendations to the Department, NHS England, Monitor and CCGs to strengthen current arrangements and we would expect the bodies concerned to consider these carefully and take appropriate action in response.Action is already being taken by NHS England including:- strengthening its CCG assurance processes;- commissioning an independent audit of conflicts of interest management in ten primary care co-commissioning arrangements, with a review to using the learning to strengthen current arrangements;- providing training to CCG lay members on management of conflicts of interest in 2015, with more training planned for next year; and,- reviewing its own internal rules on conflicts of interest and the statutory guidance it issues to CCGs on management of conflicts of interest to ensure that arrangements are robust.



NAO Report
(PDF Document, 250.55 KB)

Clinical Commissioning Groups: Conflict of Interests

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will take steps to investigate potential conflicts of interest when Clinical Commissioning Groups enter into contracts with companies in which one or more of their board members has a financial interest.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England is responsible for ensuring that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are effective and well led, including ensuring that conflicts of interest are properly managed in such a way as to ensure they do not undermine the integrity of commissioning decisions.To do this, NHS England has developed an assurance framework for CCGs. CCGs are now required to complete a quarterly self-certification, which askswhether:- Any potential conflicts of interest have arisen during the last quarter;- The public register has been updated; and- There is a record in each case of how the conflict of interest has or is planned to be managed.This certification then forms the basis of an assurance conversation between the CCG and NHS England.Work is currently underway to develop the 2016/17 CCG assessment framework and this will maintain the focus on conflicts of interest.

Clinical Commissioning Groups: Conflict of Interests

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the finding by The Times and the British Medical Journal that the board of a Clinical Commissioning Group in Birmingham awarded a £1.7 million contract to a company in which a number of its board members were shareholders or held a senior position.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We are aware of the reports in The Times and The British Medical Journal.Birmingham South Central CCG has provided assurances that it has robust and transparent governance arrangements in place that are in line with NHS England guidelines.

Clinical Commissioning Groups: Conflict of Interests

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the investigation General practice commissioning: in whose interests? by The Times and the British Medical Journal, what assessment they have made of whether the conflict of interest guidelines are fulfilled by asking board members with a conflict of interest in an item under discussion during a board meeting to remain silent or leave the room.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England is responsible for providing guidance to clinical commissioning groups on how to manage conflicts of interest.The current guidance states that:“Where certain members of a decision-making body have a material interest, they should either be excluded from relevant parts of meetings, or join in the discussion but not participate in the decision-making itself (i.e., not have a vote)….The chair of the meeting has responsibility for deciding whether there is a conflict of interest and the appropriate course of corresponding action.” NHS England has commenced a review of the Conflicts of Interest Guidance, as part of a wider governance project to strengthen conflicts of interest management across the National Health Service, and this is expected to be published next year. NHS England will formally consult with a number of regulators and national partners in the development of this guidance.

Clinical Commissioning Groups: Conflict of Interests

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the investigation General practice commissioning: in whose interests? by The Times and the British Medical Journal, whether they have plans to require that the boards of Clinical Commissioning Groups cannot enter into contracts with companies in which one or more of their board members has a financial interest.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We do not have any such plans.However, in all circumstances a clinical commissioning group must manage any actual or perceived conflicts in a way that is transparent, fair, and protects the integrity of their decision making.

Clinical Commissioning Groups: Conflict of Interests

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of whether NHS England's audit of conflict of interest is sufficiently comprehensive to govern circumstances in which Clinical Commissioning Groups enter into contracts with companies in which one or more of their board members has a financial interest.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England has commissioned an independent audit of conflicts of interest management in 10 primary care co-commissioning arrangements. The audit fieldwork commenced in September 2015, with the final report due to be shared in January 2016. It is therefore too early to make an assessment of their findings.The audit has been asked to examine and evaluate:- arrangements to manage conflicts of interest;- audit compliance with the statutory guidance on managing conflicts of interest and identify any areas of the guidance which need to be strengthened;- identify and share good practices in managing conflicts of interest;- identify future improvement opportunities; and- share learning with commissioners in support of their development.Each audit includes 360 degree interviews with representatives from:- the clinical commissioning group (including the Chair of the primary care commissioning committee, Audit Chair, Accountable Officer, Finance Director, Clinical Chair/GP member of the primary care commissioning committee);- NHS England (including the Director of Commissioning Operations, Head of Primary care and a Primary care commissioning manager for the locality);- local Healthwatch;- local Medical Committees (LMCs);- Local Authorities; and- Local Pharmaceutical Committees (LPCs).The audit also comprises a detailed review of key governance documentation including:- registers of interest, declarations of interest and registers of procurement decisions;- co-commissioning governance arrangements;- commissioning contracts that were entered into since 1 April 2015;- guidance for CCG employees on managing COIs;- guidance on dealing with breaches and details of any breaches; and- minutes of primary care commissioning committee meetings since 1 April 2015 etc.Each audit site will receive an individual report, detailing the findings for their specific arrangement. In addition, NHS England will receive a consolidated report, highlighting key themes, examples of good practice and recommendations to assist in the management of conflicts of interest.Key learning from the audit will be shared with commissioners in January 2016 in support of their development and the findings will help inform the refresh of the statutory guidance on managing conflicts of interest.